The victory gave the Sharks (11-6-1 overall, 5-5) a split in the district series with the Falcons and also kept them in contention to clinch their first ever playoff berth.
“On Tuesday, we played them and he (Shankle) was 0-for-4,” SC head coach Craig McFarland said following the game. “He missed a day of practice and got his wisdom teeth pulled. But he came back strong with a good day of practice yesterday and hit the ball well.”
With Shadow Creek trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning, Shankle smashed a two-run triple to right-center field to give the Sharks the lead for good and also scored on the play on an errant throw from the Foster outfield to third base.
Shankle then thwarted Foster’s intentional walk to Ben Greer in the fifth by socking a double to left field to plate both winning pitcher Sebastian Soliz and Greer to increase the margin to 6-2.
The Sharks’ defense then robbed the Falcons twice of extra base knocks during the final two frames. Braylon Shoaf made a diving grab on the dead run towards the left field wall in the sixth and with two Foster runners on base in the seventh, center fielder Quentus Miles dove to his right to glove a sinking liner to end it.
“Shoaf’s catch was the play of the game, because he (SC starting pitcher) Sebastian Soliz) would have gone over his pitch count,” McFarland said.
Greer gave Shadow Creek a 1-0 lead with a two-out solo homer to left in the first.
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